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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. STRATTON, OF NEY YORK, N. Y.

MUTE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,363, dated December 5, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. STRATTON, of No. 31 Maiden Lane, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mute for Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Fig. l represents a longitudinal central section ofthe bell of a cornet with my mute applied to it, the line x a2, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is an end View ofthe same.

Similar letters ot reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in the employment or use, as a mute for musical instruments, of a plug made to t the bell ofthe instrument, and provided with a central tube extendin g through both heads of said plug in such a manner that when the plug is applied to the bell of the instrument the sound is deadened without throwing the instrument out of tune, and pupils are enabled to practice on the instrument without annoyingtheir neighbors. For the purpose ot' producing ditterentdegrecs of sound-that is to say, in order to deaden the sound more or less-the tube passing through' the plug is made to extend and contract. When the tube is extended the sound appears to recede, or to be farther oft' than it is when the tube is shortened, though this change has no effect on the tune unless the tube is shortened beyond a certain point, which has to be determined by experience.

In all musical instruments, such as are usually made ot' brass or German silver, and comprised under the general term ot brass instruments,77 it has heretofore been a great annoyance for the neighborhood, if a person commences to practice on such an instrument. rPhe sounds produced by unpracticed persons are really distressing. It has, therefore, been a great desideratum to have what is termed a mute 77 that is to say, a device which will deaden the sound without altering the tune.

Such a device is the plug A, which is titted with this central tube, B. rIhe plug is round and slightly tapering, so that it tits nicely into the bell of the instrument, as shown, and the tube B extends through both heads and a cer' tain distance beyond the same. How far this tube has to extend from either head of theplug must be determined by experience because it' said tube is out too short the mute throws the instrument out of tune and becomes useless.

By increasing the length ot1 the tube B toward the open end ot the bell the sound is made to recede; and in order to produce dit'- ferent ett'ects I have constructed the tube with an extension-piece, O, so that it can he lengthcned or shortened at any moment.

By the use of this mute, pupils are enabled to practice without annoying the neighborhood.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Amuteibrmusicalinstruments,composed of a conical plug with a central pipe extending through both heads of the plug and a certain distance beyond the same, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Fitting the central tube ofthe mute with anextension-piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN F. STRATTON.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, C. L. TOPLIEF, 

